A pair of large arts and crafts silver stone set spoons

Price: Sold

For sale as a pair or individually are these large rare Robert Candelent gem set spoons dating to 1916.  One spoon is set with an amethyst, one with a green stone, possibly amazonite or marble.  Both spoons are made of a gently twisted stem, terminating with four wires split from the stem holding a wire work silver disc, each holding a stone.

The maker of these stones is an area of some interest.  Robert Candelent was a relatively standard Victorian/Edwardian manufacturer founded in 1872, by Robert Candelent.  For reasons that remain unclear, on 6th April 1911 the firm registered a new RC mark and in turn, for a very few years only, seems to have  produced a few arts and crafts pieces, mainly spoons.  These spoons are manifestly handmade and fairly crude.

Quite who made them within the firm and why is unclear.  Within the family the only RC is the founder Robert Candelent who was 75 years old in 1916.  Despite his age (and that his son Ernest Joseph took over the business at around this time) he describes himself in the 1911 census as a “working jeweller”.  My own personal, unproven, hypothesis, therefore, is that this new RC mark was his personal mark and that he made these spoons himself in his spare time as he moved to retirement.

Irrespective of who made them, they are highly unusual, large and heavy spoons that would grace any collection.  The spoons’ condition is excellent, note that the amethyst stone is slightly mis-shapen.

Maker:  Robert Candelent (personally -attrib)

Designer:  Robert Candelent (attrib)

Date: 1916

Marks: RC , London, “r”

Material: Sterling silver, amethyst, green stone

Condition: Excellent.

Size: 21cm long

Weight: 1.9 oz, 54 grams each